Yay! We’re number 1 in special teams! What’s that? Our offense and Defense are in the bottom 5 of the league? Yea, whatever…check out our punt coverage team, bitches.

Umm… this whole “special teams is important” argument I don’t really buy. Sure, it’s a nice luxury AFTER you fix everything else, but you shouldn’t spend 3/4 of your picks on future special team experts.

I don’t think any NFL team, including the Bills, drafts anypbody with the “sole” thought of special teams ability. Except for the return guys-most, if not all the guys drafted have rarely, if ever, played on “teams.” However—ALL NFL teams, including the Bills, project late rounders onto teams.

This is a simple matter of mathematics. There are only 45 people on the gameday roster. For the last 10-12 players (non-starters) they simply HAVE to contribute on teams in order to make the 45. That is why most clubs carry more LBs and DBs than any other position—they are the core components of special teams. It would be a complete and total luxury for example to carry a backup WR on the 45, who didn’t play teams.

As to whomever said they weren’t important. I totally DISAGREE. They are extremely IMPORTANT.

I think folks may be confused with Brian’s original post. In all of the post-draft recaps I have seen or read (which is a lot), each and every coach talks about his late picks as potentially making a contribution on teams. The Bills are NO different than any other team in this regard.

Where they may be different, however, is the amount of time and attention ST receive during OTAs, mini-camp, camp and regular in-season practices. Go to St. John Fisher this summer and see what I mean.

No doubt very important. Always has been for the Bills. However, it appears to me that we spent our last 7 picks for special teams. OK, mabye not all 7, but. Why didn’t we keep any of those special teamers we let go? If you can hold several roster spots for ST’s, were they all so bad we had to let them all walk? Do we have a salary cap problem? What does OBD expect of their ST’s? I thought Haggan, Stamer and mabye Wire were very good ST’s (special teamers). Yet we let them all walk. Why?
I am still trying to understand this draft. The first three picks were great. Never in my wildest dreams did I think McKelvin would fall to11. Almost all mocks and pundits had him going top ten. A great stroke of luck for us. And Hardy? He was my sleeper WR after Kelly loped another 40. Very durable too. He will be super. Ellis was the best DE left. A good pick. But then? I would hazard a guess that OBD did not try to trade after the third.
So, we still need an every doown TE who can block and catch. The Bills just don’t get it with this position. Salary cap considerations? I think it is the very conservative offensive scheme they have. I HATE it!! If they don’t open it up this year, we may very well go 8-8. If they allow a game plan that takes advantage of our talent, we should definitely make the playoffs. I’m hoping that Hardy catches at least one TD pass in at least 18 games! So There! I will also hazard a guess that Thomas was #1 and Hardy #2 on their board. It did not shock me at all that Jordy went so high.
Viti is a good addition and should start immediately when they use FB. Crush em Mike.
But I still am unhappy with Fowler. Hard to see why OBD is OK with him. One bruised apple in the barrel….
So, I think we devoted too many picks to ST’s. If we are ok salary cap wise, why not make at least one play for a good TE? They only targeted two, and Bennett was not one of them. BOO. Just relax the game plan and let our guys play to their potential. It’s all up to Jauron, Schonert and co. Turn those horses loose. Please.

Enjoyed the article, especially the “So there you have it, like it or not” attitude. I have no beef with picking up players with great special teams potential, but I don’t like when its used an excuse to justify picking up an undersized player.

Maybe you or the trium-savants could put together an article covering the ‘state of the offense’ now. I’d like to see an analytical look at the 2008 offense and why we should or shouldn’t expect to see any difference from 2007. I could see a great debate between the “whoopie we changed one starting WR, got some unemployed TE’s, and a FB” and the “its all in the playcalling, getting the 3rd down conversion, getting the red zone TD” theories.

OK maybe I’m just stating the obvious here, but the way I look at it, special teams ability is one factor among others in evaluating talent, so in the same way players are devalued based on positional need, ST ability will factored into how a player is valued or devalued as well. And as other factors like positional need become less important in the later rounds of the draft, it’s common sense that the ST factor would become more prominent in deciding picks in the later rounds. I can see how this could give the appearance that the Bills are only drafting for special teams but I don’t think that is the case; it’s just more weighted in that direction.

And the Bills are clearly among the best in special teams and IMO are in a much better position to evaluate players in this regard than most teams and certainly better than the so-called experts. So this might also explain why the Bills draft boards start to deviate from these “expert” draft-gurus in the latter rounds who always seem to be complaining about the Bills reaching.

Glad to know you took a page out of my book ;)